Unexpected

31. Harry

I hate the way yesterday evening went. Not the way we fucked, not that, but the way we left each other in front of her apartment building.

It was going well until she woke up and she decided she wanted to go home at two in the morning.

What's wrong with her? What made her change her mind?

I don't know, but I need some answers from her. She can't let me have some of the best nights and then just walk away.

She should be in Vancouver by now, but I won't be serene until I'm sure.

I decide to text her, hoping she will reply: Helen, have you arrived in Vancouver?

Sent.

Time passes: she has not yet answered. In the meantime I went to the gym to train, immediately after I prepared a quick and healthy snack to recharge my energy a little.

It's eight o'clock, the boys have returned home from training with the team. We have dinner while we update each other on how our day went.

No response from Helen.

I text her another message: Listen, I'm sorry about how it went last night. I don't understand what's wrong...

I watch a previously seen episode of Peaky Blinders as I wait for an answer.

Nothing.

What the fuck happened to her? Why shouldn't she answer me? She hates me, okay, but she might as well tell me she's safe and sound.

Without thinking too much, I click on her phone number and call her.

It rings.

"Hello?" says an unknown male voice on the other side of the phone.

"Who the fuck are you?" I want to talk to Helen if you let me." I'm confused... who is this guy?

His voice is deep and hoarse, but I sense that he is more or less my age. "She's in the bathroom. Who are you?" he asks me, suspiciously.

I snort. "Let me talk to her."

"I already told you that—" he is interrupted.

When Helen's sweet voice reaches my ears I feel relieved. "Harry?"

I clear my throat. "Hey, I texted you. Are you in Vancouver?"

"Yes why?"

"I wanted to make sure you arrived safe and sound, that's all."

While she is speaking she is distracted. She giggles at the words of that idiot.

Then I hear him say "Oh baby, you're so sexy" and I go crazy.

"Who are you with?" I burst out.

She laughs. "With a friend. It bothers you?" she slurs. Shit, she's drunk.

I immediately get out of bed and look for clothes. "Tell me what and how much you drank," I demand.

"Mhm..." she lets out a moan. "I don't know, but I drank a lot, yes," she says, still giggling.

I put on my shoes and hurry down the stairs. "Give me the address of where you are now."

She doesn't think straight, so she gives me one. Let's hope it's the right one. I close the call without even saying hello.

"Hey, hey," Evan says when he sees me in a hurry, "where are you going?" he asks curiously.

I take the car and house keys. "To recover something, urgent." I shot a bullshit, but I'm going to really recover something, actually a girl.

They can't ask me any more questions because in two seconds I'm already out of the house.

I get into the car and as soon as I leave the parking lot I push my foot on the acceleration pedal. It takes two hours to get to Vancouver, I'll be there by half past eleven.

I've never gone there but my car is well equipped with a navigator, I shouldn't have any problems.

I take the highway, and the noises of cars speeding by hypnotize me. I overtake as much as I can and reach top speed, but without going any further.

Who was that boy on the phone? What if he wants to hurt her while she's drunk? What if he is her boyfriend from Vancouver and she didn't tell me anything?

Oh shit, Harry, focus.

Helen may not have understood that even though she hates me, we scream in our faces sometimes, she's fucking mine. And if she wants it, I'm hers, I don't give a shit about others.

From that first time we kissed in my room, I thought it wouldn't be anything special. Well... people kiss all the time without feeling anything.

I kissed and fucked a lot of girls just for fun, feeling nothing. But every time she kissed me I felt that thing they call... butterflies? I surprised myself when I first realized this. And I love when she pretends she doesn't want me, even if the opposite is evident.

It's like I can't get over it. This girl is getting under my skin, she is entering every cell of mine like a parasite, the only thing is that I don't want to make her go away.

Helen is like an addiction: every time she offers me the slightest part of her I feel better and I always crave more, even though everyone tells me I should stop.

That first time that happened in freshman year was normal. She was a simple and pretty girl, we were together and ended up in bed. But when she was no longer with me in the morning I didn't rack my nerves to understand what happened to her or why she left. I got over it.

Now she's beautiful, smart, she knows her worth, she knows what she wants from life, she is a woman. There is nothing more attractive than all this.

Her mind intrigues me, there are a billion things I would like to know about her, but I know that if I keep acting like an asshole she will never let me know her thoroughly.

The problem is she'll want the same in return, I just don't want her to know me too well. She already hates me and I don't want her to do it even more.

I wish it wasn't all that complicated. It seems that the world is all against us, that we are alone fighting here.